The present invention relates to an improvement in or relating to a laser beam irradiation instrument whose semiconductor lasers can project laser beams to one""s skin to carry out beauty treatments for skin or depilation.
When one""s skin is exposed to laser beams subsequent to depilation effected by means of depilatory, such laser beams are absorbed in the endoepidermal melanin so that a sufficient amount of heat may be generated to cause degeneration of protein in the skin tissue. As a result the sebaceous follicle and semi-spherical hair roots are so damaged that the follicular tissue may be hardened to suppress the growing of hair, thus causing a significant depilation effect.
When abnormal chromatophore cells scattered on the epiderm or corium of the skin such as spots and freckles are exposed to laser beams, such chromatophore cells are heated to disperse in the form of minute particles, which come up to the skin surface or are absorbed by vessels or lymphoducts as waste products. Thus, the normal skin revives.
In carrying out the beauty treatment for the skin with laser beams it is necessary to expose a relatively extensive skin area evenly to such laser beams; spots, freckles or downy hair are liable to appear in such a relatively extensive skin area.
Semiconductor lasers which are used in beauty treatments are very small in their irradiating areas, say several square microns (xcexcm2) to several tens square microns (xcexcm2), and unlike a He-Ne laser such semiconductor lasers cannot produce a fine, straight beam, but a fan-like beam diverging 30 to 45 degrees wide.
In the hope of increasing the energy density of laser beam at the beam-projection plane a condenser lens is used, and the beam diameter can be reduced to be equal to one to two millimeters at the focussing point.
To attain these objectives a laser beam irradiation instrument according to the present invention comprises: a plurality of semiconductor laser diodes arranged in two lines with the semiconductor laser diodes of one line staggered with those of the other line, the plurality of semiconductor laser diodes being so inclined that one plane in which the parallel optical axes of the semiconductor laser diodes of one line are contained may cross the other plane in which the parallel optical axes of the semiconductor laser diodes of the other line are contained; and a plurality of condenser lenses each arranged on the optical axis of each semiconductor laser, thereby causing each semiconductor laser to focus on the crossing line of the two planes.
Alternatively, a laser beam irradiation instrument according to the present invention comprises: a headed body whose front is recessed inward and defined by two oblique walls; a plurality of semiconductor laser diodes arranged in two lines on one oblique wall with the semiconductor laser diodes of one line staggered with those of the other line; another plurality of semiconductor laser diodes arranged in two lines on the other oblique wall with the semiconductor laser diodes of one line staggered with those of the other line; and a plurality of condenser lenses each arranged on the optical axis of each semiconductor laser, the semiconductor laser diodes on one oblique wall being so directed that one plane in which the parallel optical axes of the semiconductor laser diodes of one line are contained may cross the other plane in which the parallel optical axes of the semiconductor laser diodes of the other line are contained, thus defining one focussing line with the aid of the associated condenser lenses whereas the semiconductor laser diodes on the other oblique wall being so directed that one plane in which the parallel optical axes of the semiconductor laser diodes of one line are contained may cross the other plane in which the parallel optical axes of the semiconductor laser diodes of the other line are contained, thus defining the other focussing line with the aid of the associated condenser lenses, both focusing lines running parallel to each other.
In the hope of performing a beauty treatment on skin at an increased efficiency the inventor had the idea of arranging a plurality of laser beams in line rather than to converge to a single focussing point, so that the linear focussing of the laser beams may cover the irradiated area linearly or in one dimension. Then, the skin area can be swept by moving the laterally expanded laser beam longitudinally.
One objective of the present invention, therefore, is to make it possible to perform beauty treatments on the skin or depilation treatments at an increased efficiency.
Another objective of the present invention is to provide a linear laser beam having even strength of radiation, thereby permitting a required even treatment to be performed on the skin.
To attain these objectives a laser beam irradiation instrument according to claim 1 of the present invention comprises: a plurality of semiconductor laser diodes arranged in two lines with the semiconductor laser diodes of one line staggered with those of the other line, the plurality of semiconductor laser diodes being so inclined that one plane in which the parallel optical axes of the semiconductor laser diodes of one line are contained may cross the other plane in which the parallel optical axes of the semiconductor laser diodes of the other line are contained; and a plurality of condenser lenses each arranged on the optical axis of each semiconductor laser, thereby causing each semiconductor laser to focus on the crossing line of the two planes.
A laser beam irradiation instrument according to claim 2 of the present invention comprises: a headed body whose front is recessed inward and defined by two oblique walls; a plurality of semiconductor laser diodes arranged in two lines on one oblique wall with the semiconductor laser diodes of one line staggered with those of the other line; another plurality of semiconductor laser diodes arranged in two lines on the other oblique wall with the semiconductor laser diodes of one line staggered with those of the other line; and a plurality of condenser lenses each arranged on the optical axis of each semiconductor laser, the semiconductor laser diodes on one oblique wall being so directed that one plane in which the parallel optical axes of the semiconductor laser diodes of one line are contained may cross the other plane in which the parallel optical axes of the semiconductor laser diodes of the other line are contained, thus defining one focussing line with the aid of the associated condenser lenses whereas the semiconductor laser diodes on the other oblique wall being so directed that one plane in which the parallel optical axes of the semiconductor laser diodes of one line are contained may cross the other plane in which the parallel optical axes of the semiconductor laser diodes of the other line are contained, thus defining the other focussing line with the aid of the associated condenser lenses, both focusing lines running parallel to each other.